Iranian censorship

Iranian film directors must be a frustrated lot. For decades, they have produced superb, cerebral films (such as 'Leila'), while facing rigid, austere censorship laws that people in Western countries simply cannot fathom.

In Iranian films, the beautiful faces of the country's women are fully exposed, but nothing else (and I do mean NOTHING else) is. Even when love is a principal motif (e.g. 'Leila' and the recently released 'Boutique'), touching, stroking or -- zounds! -- embracing are absolutely taboo.

This censorship creates artificial and unrealistic situations when it involves men and women in love with each other. We are allowed to see the love in these films through facial expressions and gestures, but we are forbidden to see anything beyond that. In short, sexuality does not exist in Iranian films, where you don't even see a man and woman in bed with each other. Has anyone seen as much as an Iranian woman's ankle on screen? How about a knee? How about that gorgeous Persian hair?

It's frustrating watching these beautiful women wearing scarves in every single scene, indoors and out, while the men romp in t-shirts. Women bundle themselves up in shapeless masses of clothes as if they're trundling through the frozen tundra. I know, I know, Islam, modesty and all that. Yet many Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian and other Muslim women wear skirts on-screen, and even embrace with their lovers. And yet the religion somehow survives.

My proposal: why don't beautiful Iranian actresses stop tormenting we Western men and simply cover their faces altogether, save for their eyes? The story would remain intact; what more do we need?